JumpCutz

Interesting article regarding film color palette trends...


Those of you who watch a lot of Hollywood movies may have noticed a certain trend that has consumed the industry in the last few years. It is one of the most insidious and heinous practices that has ever overwhelmed the industry. Am I talking about the lack of good scripts? Do I speak of the dependency of a few mega-blockbuster hits to save the studios each year, or of the endless sequels and television retreads? No, I am talking about something much more dangerous, much deadlier to the health of cinema.

I speak of course, of THE COLOR GRADING VIRUS THAT IS TEAL & ORANGE!!!

This is the insidious practice of color-grading every movie with a simplified, distilled palette of teal and orange like this: (see link)


http://theabyssgazes.blogspot.com/20...ease-stop.html

islandclaws

Luckily (or not), I'm color deficient, so shit like this usually goes right over my head. I never even notice.

The Cow

Isn't Bumblebee a shade of yellow?

Hokeyboy

Doesn't bother me in the slightest.

GoldenJCJ

I blame David Fincher!



Actually, when done right, teal, orange, or any other color adds to the overall experience. Movies like O Brother, Where Art Thou? are the better for it. IMO

Supermallet

It's a little ostentatious, don't you think? Maybe throw some hot rod red in there.

Mordred

I had noticed the teal thing, but hadn't realized the orange except for thinking that everybody looked really "warm" in TF2.

tylergfoster

I am tired of the "teal" look, as well as the "orange" look, if that's what's been applied to Transformers that makes the sky a murky sea green and turns all whites slightly gray, which always seems to be used to make movies look "modern" or "slick" in a 21st century way. That said, I am much more tired of the color-drained, dust-brown look. I hate it. I hate it with an intense passion. Just because people liked it in Saving Private Ryan doesn't mean every gritty, dirty-looking movie needs to suck the color out. It's just so fucking boring. And that's really what's wrong with all of these techniques: they look boring. Tinting everything blue or orange isn't a "look". No "look" should be applied with a roller. And sucking the color out is less of a look than anything. If you want it to look stark, shoot it in straight up black and white. At least that'd be different, by today's standards.

The writer of the article is accused of adding the letter "H" over and over where it doesn't belong. The "Cohen Brothers" did not direct a movie called "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?"

Groucho

The color palette is the least of the problems with Transformers 2.

Troy Stiffler

Hey, didn't James Cameron bring those strong filters to the big Hollywood movies? David Fincher made it very noticable and 'sophisticated'. Jerry Bruckheimer & Co painted it on (especially with his TV shows).

Though not "experienced", I'm very familiar with color grading. The teal/orange is not really for me. But I don't mind the style.

More than anything, seems like we see them in all of those little horror movies and Bruckheimer's shows. I think they make the movies with relatively low budgets and then tack on the heavy color grading techniques, in order to gain some credibility that it's a very well-shot, well-lit production. But in the end, it's kind of like a painted up whore.

It works sometimes. But I really prefer to see things that were shot in-frame and maybe touched up just a little. Teal/orange or not, some movies get out of hand, even when just trying to make the grass greener and whatnot. When overdone, it's no different than bad CG.

Artman

I actually liked all the examples they showed... lol. Transformers is a big colorful movie, I don't think it's out of place in that one at all. The only ones I don't care for are the Platinum Dunes movies, it's just cranked up way too much... although maybe it'll work a little better in Nightmare, since it's dealing with dreams/surreal environments.

I've always really liked blue/orange complimentary color schemes... it's pretty common when you know to look for it, although it's hard to think of specific examples at the moment. Eyes Wide Shut used it effectively... of course there's also cloud city in Empire.

Solid Snake

ditto. Some films use it well. Actually...most of the films I've personally seen have used it well. I can't think of bad film I've seen that used it badly...off the top of my head. Maybe I have.

joefrog91

If the movie is good, it doesn't take me out of it. If it's a bad movie, then it bothers me more.

Hokeyboy

This is a more severe epidemic than "bubble invading".

The Bus

It doesn't bother me. Michael Bay's movies have had that same look for at least 20 years.

I'd rather have teal and orange than the washed-out blue tones of movies like Underworld.

Solid Snake

.....yeah....I agree. Blue can be too much.

bunnydojo

I'm actually a big fan of movies where the color palette is controlled. Sure, I prefer times when there's a point behind the coloring or when the coloring is done via deliberate sets, lighting, or costuming, but even the cheap computer aftereffects look cool to me and rarely bother within the context of the film.

The only time I've been bothered by coloring in a movie lately (that I can remember) was the driving scene Tarantino directed for Sin City, which obviously wasn't a victim of teal & orange. There are far, far more problems with most movies at the moment than color choices.

PopcornTreeCt

The only issue I ever had with color palettes was when James Cameron made everything blue for the night scenes in Terminator 2. It was annoying and unrealistic. Granted, the movie kicked ass but it was the only time color took me out of a movie.

That guy needs to lighten up. Most of those movies weren't that great aside from Iron Man 2, which I hope is good but the others have bigger problems than their color palettes.

Solid Snake

Aren't most night scenes blue if you want to actually show the character? It's either that or "moonlight" white or whatever you want to call it.

Patman

Soderbergh's Traffic was highly stylized, as are most Tony Scott films in terms of color palette.

Solid Snake

actually I'll admit. I got annoyed by Traffic's use of blue. didn't mind everything but it was too blue.

MoviePage

I've definitely noticed, and been annoyed by, the teal trend.

mh4268

Just watched King Arthur after reading this. A whole lot of teal and orange going on in that film.

Navinabob

Legion has to be the worst offender of this style. Made a bad movie sooooo much worse. We should make a poll and vote on this for fun.

Ash Ketchum

Those images featured in the link provided in the first post remind me of the old 2-strip Technicolor, which was used from roughly 1922 till 1933, after which 3-Strip was perfected.

Here are some examples:

WHOOPEE (1930)


MYSTERY OF THE WAX MUSEUM (1933)


DOCTOR X (1932)